WASHINGTON — You can say "lunatic" all you want, but you probably won’t have the government’s blessing.

The word "lunatic" will be stricken from federal law under legislation that passed the House today and is headed to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The congressional action is the latest effort to remove language from the U.S. code that has become outdated or demeaning. Two years ago Congress took out references in federal law to the term "mental retardation."

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